Hood latches



C. A. SIGEL HOOD LATCHES April 15, 1958 Filed Aug.' 2e. 195o 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 www myd? ,W5 .ff/w

C. A. SIGEL HOOD LATCHES April 15, 1958 4 Sheets-Shea?l 2 Filed Aug. 26, 1950 C. A. SIGEL HOOD LATCHES April 15, 1958 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Aug. 26, 195o f ,w m w f C'ar/ zlge/ @Mmm c. A. slGEL Hoon LATcl-xEs April 15, 195s 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Aug. 26, 1950 United States Patent() HOD LATCHES Carl A. Sigel, Chicago, lll., assignor to Chicago Forging and Manufacturing Company, Chicago, lll., a corporation of Delaware Application August 26, 1950, Serial No. 181,613

1 Claim. (Cl. 292-11) The invention relates to an improvement in hood latches and has for one purpose to provide hood latches forfautomobile hood closures.

Another purpose is to provide an improved hood closure structure which may be applied to alligator-type automobile closures.

Another purpose is to provide an improved hood latch structure in which a single actuated member may be employed to control both a primary latch and a secondary or safety latch.

Other purposes will appear from time to time in the course of the specification and claims.

The invention is illustrated more or less diagrammatically in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. l is a side elevation with parts broken away and parts in section;

Fig. .2 is a bottom view on an enlarged scale taken along the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a section on the line3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a section on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3 With parts omitted;

Fig. 5 is a side elevation with parts in section of a variant form;

Fig. 6 is a section on the line 66 of Fig. 5; and

Fig. 7 is a bottom view similar to Fig. 2 of the form of Figs. 5 and 6.

Like parts are'indicated by like symbols throughout the specification and drawings.

Referring, for example, to Fig. ,1, 1 generally indicates the hood or forward portion of an automobile and 2 a closure therefor. v

Upon the hood, I illustrate a bottom base plate 3 secured, for example, by bolts 4 to any suitable bracket or brackets 5 on the automobile hood structure. Mounted on the closure 2 is a top base plate 6 which is shown as carrying a keeper including a stem 7 'having a generally conic head 8 with a cylindrical apron portion 9. 10 is a cup shaped abutment having a cylindrical ange or sleeve 11 slidable along the stem 7. 12 is a coil spring compressed between the flange 13 at the lower edge of the cup 10, and any suitable abutment 14 at the upper end of the stem. It will be understood that the strength of the spring 12 is suicient to elevate the closure 2 if the below-described latch is released. However, in Fig. 3 the structure is latched and the spring 12 is under its maximum compression.

Considering now Fig. 2, a latch or lever 15 is shown as pivoted to the bottom base plate 3 as at 16. It i11- cludes a portion 17 adapted to overlie the head 8 of the keeper, as in the position in which the parts are shown in Fig. 3. A spring 13 is secured at one end to an ear 19 on the latch or lever 15. It is secured at its other end, as at 20, to the actuating lever generally indicated as 21, which will later be described in detail. The latch lever 15 is provided with an olset or cam 22 and opposed to the actuating horn 23 of the lever 21. 24 indicates a slot in the bottom base plate 3 through which extends a supporting portion 25 of the latch or lever 15. Thus the outer end of the lever is supported by the portion 25 which rides on an elongated boss 26 which surrounds the aperture 24. It will be understood that the spring 18 is effective normally to urge the lever or latch 15 to the full line position of Fig. 2, with the latch blade 17 overlying the head 8 of the keeper 7 and holding the parts locked. The slot 24 is of such a length that it acts as a stop to limit the movement of the latch 15 toward and away from latching position.

The actuating latch 21 is shown as having a manually operable end portion 30 with its end cam 31 which is shown as accessible through any suitable front grill 32 of the head 1.

Also positioned on the bottom base plate 3 is a safety latch generally indicated as 35. It is pivoted as at 36 and has a head or hook portion 37 which is normally urged into the full line position of Fig. 3 by any suitable coil spring 38. It will be noted that the latch 35 has a lower portion 39 which extends through a suitable slot 40 in the bottom base plate 3. Under normal circumstances, the spring 38 holds the hook 37 in the full line position of Fig.' 3. Thus, if the latch 15 is then released, the bottom base plate 6 can be elevated upwardly and only the distance permitted by the hook 37 which overlies it. Assume, however, that the operator Wishes to release the latch. The actuating lever 2l is pivoted to the bottom base plate 3 as at 21a. There- `fore, if the operator reaches through the grill and rotates the lever portion 3@ from the full line to the dotted line position of Fig. l, he initially releases the latch 15 by the contact of the lever horn 23 with the latch lug 22. Thus rotation of the actuating lever 21 `is eiective to move the latch 15 against the action of the spring 18. As the movement of the actuating lever is continued, the second horn 23a of the lever engages the portion 39 of the safety latch 35 and moves it, against the action of the spring 38, from the full line to the dotted line position of Fig. 3. The spring 12 slightly elevates the hood closure 2, since it is of suflicient force to expand upwardly. And ythe lifting of the closure 2 can be completed by the operator Who can then insert his fingers beneath the lower end of the closure.

It will be noted that the keeper 7 and its head 8 pass through an aperture 3a in the bottom base plate 3, which aperture is partially surrounded by a down-turned llange or flanges 3b.

Referring to the form of Figs. 5 to 7 and considering only the parts which difrer, the bottom base plate 50 has pivoted to it, as at 51, the combined latching and actuating lever 52. The lever 52 has a latching edge 53 which is opposable to the keeper. The latch is normally urged into locking position, for example, by the spring 54, one end of which is secured to the lever as at 55, while the other end is secured to the bottom base plate 50, as at 56. An elongated slot 57 is provided through which an end l5S of the latch lever 52 extends to rest upon the upper surface of the base plate. It thus supports the lever structure. The safety latch 60, with its hook 61, is pivoted as at 62 to any suitable ears 63 on the base plate 5i). It is normally urged by the spring 64 into the full line position in Fig. 5 in which it overlies the locking latch or shelf 65 of the hood closure 2a. Thus, when the parts are in position in which they are shown in full line of Figs. 5, 6 and 7, even if for any reason the keeper breaks orl is released, the safety latch 61 is effective to prevent a raising of the closure 2a. If, however, the operator voluntarily reaches through the grill and moves the lever 52 from the dotted line to the full line position of Fig. 7, he initially releases the keeper for its upward movement and thereafter engages the lower end of the safety latch 60. The lower end of the latch 60, as at 60a, extends through a lsuitable slot or aperture in the base plate 50 and is Vin line to be engaged by a camming lug 65 mounted on an Aarm or extension 65a of the actuating lever 52. In the form herein shown, there is illustrated a camming lug 60b on the downward extension 60a of the safety latch 60. Thus, as it is engaged by the opposed lug 65 of the lever 52, the safety latch, after the main latch has already been released, is moved from the full line to the dotted line or release position shown in Fig. 5.

It will be understood that the time relation between the release of the main latch portion 53 and the release of the safety latch 60 can be controlled, determined or varied by varying the shape of the combined actuating and .latching lever 52. Whereas, under some circumstances it may be preferable to have both latches released at the same time, or to have the safety latch released before the main latch, it is preferred to release the main latch before the safety latch or at least to release them simultaneously.

It will b e realized that VI have described and claimed a practical and operative device, nevertheless, many changes may be made in size, shape, number and disposition of parts without departing from the spirit of my invention. I therefore wish my description and drawings to be taken as in a broad sense illustrative or diagrammatic, rather than as limiting me to my specific showing herein.

The use and operation of the invention are as follows:

In the form of Figs. l to 4, a unitary actuating lever is employed which, when moved through its predetermined excursion, releases both the main latch and the safety latch. While the timing of the two releases may be a matter of choice and may be varied, it is thought preferable either to release the two latches at the same time or, as shown herein, to release the main latch and immediately thereafter to release the safety latch. However, a single operating element is employed which, in the present embodiment of the invention, is shown as accessible through the grill at the front of the automobile. It will be understood, of course, that any suitable means may be employed for actuating the release from the dash board or otherwise. In the form of Figs. and following, the same result is obtained in a slightly different manner. A unitary actuating and latching lever is employed which itself constitutes the main latch and which, upon its movement to release position, also releases a safety latch.

I claim:

In a'hoodlatch assembly for automobiles, alatch plate having a keeper-receiving aperture therein, a main latch pivoted to said plate and having a portion adapted to overlie a portion of said aperture when said main latch is in latching position, an abutment on said main latch, a safety latch pivoted to said latch plate and spaced from said main latch, a separate actuating lever pivoted to said plate at a point spaced from said main latch pivot and said safety `latch pivot, said actuating lever having a irst portion in actuating contact with said abutment at all positions of said actuating lever, an abutment on said safety latch, said actuating lever having a second portion movableto a position spaced from said safety latch abutment and movable into actuating contact therewith upon movement of said actuating lever in one direction a distance suicient to move said main latch to non-latching position, said second portion being movable, in response .to continued movement of said actuating lever in said direction, into actuating contact with said safety latch abutment, to move said safety latch to non-latching position, and a `spring adapted to urge said main latch into latching position and to urge said actuating lever in a direction to move said second portion'toward said position spaced from said safety latch.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 570,035 Mehl Oct. 27, 1896 1,847,686 Bienaime Mar. 1, 1932 2,193,132 Hynes Mar. 12, 1940 2,197,648 Mersheimer Apr. 16, 1940 `2,199,467 Saunders May 7, 1940 2,232,865 Pizzo Feb. 25, 1941 2,243,758 Krause May 27, 1941 2,253,660 Tell Aug. 26, 1941 2,256,465 Brubaker Sept. 23, 1941 2,274,696 Hill Mar. 3, 1942 2,286,739 Krause June 16, 1942 2,333,466 Claud-Mantle Nov. 2, 1943 2,492,683 Claud-Mantle Dec. 27, 1949 2,502,607 Vinton Apr. 4, 1950 2,558,959 Jandus July 3, 1951 FOREIGN PATENTS 35,700 Norway Sept. l1, 1922 

